@@stevestevens1457 just go by what feels good for you. I normally play 2mm picks when it comes to single line music and I use thinner picks for strumming.
Tortex picks have fantastic tone… but they get eaten alive by my playing. I hate having my picks lose their shape so fast, their durability is a real issue for me. For that reason I prefer Ultex or Nylon, since those picks usually last me wayyy longer.
Now that they make Jazz III picks from all of the main materials (nylon, carbon fiber+nylon, tortex of any thickness, ultex) it would be awesome to see a followup video where you can compare different sizes of picks and the different materials. I'm curious if the main difference is the pick material or the size & shape influencing how you attack the strings.
I watched this some months ago, when I was still playing jazz iii and didn't want to believe you. Now I purchased some Tortex jazz iii .88 mm (green one) and the moment I held it in my hand, it felt like home. I had been playing the standard .88 mm years ago before I got into shredding. And you are absolutely right, Tortex IS the best material for a massively pissed off tone for riffing. Especially in the palm mutes, there's a world of difference. However the size of the jazz iii doesn't matter so much it seems. Thanks for your vids, maybe next time I will believe you right away :)
Thicker pick makes the string travel farther. Agree completely. Best picks I’ve found are Dunlop flow, Dunlop Nylon and Attak Pick for unique parts with unreal clarity and a flam effect that accentuates the bite
Yes you are absolutely right. I've noticed that too. With the Jazz 3 picks gives you a much smaller tone. Although it does have really good picking accuracy. But for your comparison the Jazz 3 sounds less dynamic and more muffled. But neither pick gives me the percussive attack that I need. I use a Gibson 351 black Celluloid heavy, and I use a fender 347 large teardrop heavy shell for my picks. Both do exactly what I need them to do. Which is do circles around any Dunlop pick. I get more percussive attack and tone, better sustain and I have better control of not dropping my pick. Tortex picks sound too thin. Especially when you're playing above the 12th fret.
I agree, that thicker picks sound warmer/muddier, but I think, that the material matters more. I am not a metal player, but I use Jazz 3 Tortex 1,5 and they sound much brighter and articulate than the standard Jazz 3.
I use Trainer 0.96mm tortex, but I shorten them by 3/16" (to match the length of the last joint in my 1st finger)... great sound, improved accuracy and they last forever.
Wow i had almost the same situation. I was comparing all the picks i had and stopped on a Tortex III. And then started comparing thickness. The "Chug" that i liked the most was coming from a 1.4 mm (purple), but the one i was most comfortable playing with was a 1.0 mm (blue) pick. But i still decided to try and get used to the purple one, and few weeks later i could play even better with it and now it is actually harder for me to play the blue one.
Not a big surprise, nylon always sounds flatter and smoother because it's a softer material. A fairer comparison would be the ultex or stiffo jazz iii picks imo.
Great comparison video ! I just switched to green tortex tiii from jazz iii xls. Still getting used to it, but i found that i prefer this pick for both, electric and acoustic guitar. I tried the thicker blue one to, but later decided to use green one. Blue was too thick for me.
I played for a long time the JP red Jazz 3 mini. I thought these are the picks for the rest of my life. But after playing a Tortex Jazz 3 mini 1.35 mm I realized the Tortex material sounds much better. So I sticked with them a longer time. 6 month ago I changed to an Tortex Jazz 3 XL 1.0 mm. But man, you are so right. I played on an T3 for some days now and I think I finally found my picks. Incredible. Not only the sound but my playing seems to be better. I think I have more grip because they are so large. I only have 1.14 mm T3 here, but I think a little thinner seems better to me. I will order 1.0, 0.88 and 0.73 and see which works best for me. Thank you so much for the suggestion. Without you I haven't even tried one!
Dunlop Carbon Fiber Max Grip Jazz III is still awesome for leads and no slip, but it falls short on rhythm. Jazz III's just suck for strumming and chugging. On that note, I'm loving V-picks Dimension with the ghosted edge. I'm just ordered one that s fully ghosted for more grip. I deally, I'd have a V-pick with a the max grip of the a carbon fiber. I'm in the processing shaping 2 carbon fiber Jazz III's down to glue onto a V-picks Screamer before I go messing with gluing anything onto a Dimension, since the dimension is pricey.
I think the JP Jazz III is good for warmer tones. The super thick black ones are the best Jazz IIIs for warmer tones, for more Trebly tones I like to use the thinner Animals as Leaders Jazz IIIs and I rarely use in between medium picks.
Ya I think the xl is just the best of both worlds.. I’m confused bout jazz 1s and 2s though I never tried those but saw them the other day they felt to small obviously like jaZz 3s but I wonder if there’s a jazz 2 xl if I’d like it better. Maybe I’ll check it out.. swear I go through this pick dilemma every other day like hmm how diff do they sound and which grip do I like and wait I don’t mind thin and it helps my strumming to no it doesn’t and thick easier to grip and jazz 3 is sharp n it just as good for strumming like to the point where I’m switching picks and playing same licks rather than advancing lmfao bout to use my dang thumb hahahaha
I LOVE the shape of the jazz iii but i do admit over time I really missed the size and tone of a bigger picks After fiddling with TONS of picks I ended up massively enjoying the Chickenpicks Badazz III (2.5mm) coz it gets that more bigger tone down while still having that jazz iii type of control and speed
Have you tried jazz 3 xl? I went through same thing I use to use .88 tortex then you’re jazz 3 then found jazz 3 xl and it’s perfect size and thickness
Tbh I sort of went through a similar journey a couple of years ago where I tried like...4-5 brands of boutique picks coz "standard" picks weren't cutting it for me. While I've enjoyed played chickenpicks (their Jazz variant that's about 2mm thick) for a year, it sort of got tiring and a bit expensive buying them in bulk. So lo and behold when I took your advice and just tried out an old Dunlop again...and it just sort of clicked for once. The TIII and Jazz III XL tortex variants in particular have been awesome. I love the .88 and 1mm versions. I do wish they lasted longer though coz I despise rounded out, used feeling tortex picks with a passion but I guess they're cheap enough to buy in bulk :p
The thickness and material together here are making a difference, and both have a sharp tip. After trying the Hetfield Black Fang I realized just how much I like the attack of a sharper shape while not being too thick. Landed on the Ultex Sharp 0.90 personally. I bought some 0.88 Tortex TIIIs to compare the shape and it's identical to the Ultex Sharp. I find Ultex to be the most wear resistant material, even moreso than Tortex, so give that a try, too. Great video and you've really demonstrated your point properly with the DI tracks, too. I don't see anyone else doing that. PS the White Fang is a Flow shape which I also recommend trying. Not nearly as sharp an attack but still plenty of articulation, and makes it easier to play very fast. You can get those in Ultex (regular Flow) or Tortex, both 0.88.
You are absolutely correct. The Jazz III killed my Les Paul warm tone.......Dunlop Big Stubby 3.0 for LIFE! Try one.....Awkward at first, but well worth the transition IMO
I tried to make my self use them for years because everyone including guitar teachers were telling me i should switch to them, but I couldn't play them for more than 10 minutes because of the sound difference!
You just confirmed my suspicion about Jazz III picks... I have been using Jazz III pickups forever, and recently was sent some free Green Tortex pick with a purchase of a set of pickups. So i tried them out and personally i really love the feel of the Green Tortex over the Jazz III. I find it easier to to faster riffing with the Tortex picks... great video!!
No, unfortunately it’s not the same thing at all. It’s like saying “Can you make two singers with two different voices sound more similar with eq/compression/effects?” - You will always be able to tell which singer is which anyways
Fuck man you crushed all of my beliefs and habits. I'm so used to small picks, specially the Jazz III, I can't even imagine going back to a big one. Guess I'll move to the jazz III XL and a bigger one later on.
I still have a Jazz III pick that I bought in 1991. It’s been with me to 15 countries. I don’t use it anymore, because I don’t want to lose it. Well, that and I use Blue Chip picks these days.
Hey Francesco. Some awesome points you made in this video. It makes so much sense that a bigger pick would have better tone than the Jazz III. It never really occurred to me but it is totally True. As hard as it is for a Jazz III love like me to admit, you're definitely right!
Chugs are very different if you pay attention not to their EQ but to how they “bloom” and fill the space. There’s very little EQ difference once you go through a full pedal>amp>cab chain, but the character of the chugs is vastly different
I don’t like regular Tortex picks cause the tip is too rounded and the tone is not as defined imo. Sharps are awesome but maybe too sharp? Get the Tortex III, same size as the regular Tortex but with the tip of a Jazz III, best of both worlds!
Can you do a comparison with the Tortex Jazz 3? I think you might have lost some attack/tone because you used a nylon pick. I been playing around with a Tortex Jazz 3 1.50mm to a gator grip 1.50mm and I actually think the Jazz hits the high strings cleaner but I dunno, curious on your comparison opinion
As I mention in the video, there is definitely still a difference even if two picks have the same material. Size matters! I personally prefer bigger picks because of this, but in the end use whatever you prefer and what gets the job done :)
Yea but as I mention in the video, they still wouldn't be as good cause of the loss of tone related to the smaller size. Still, an improvement over nylon for sure!
they don't suck for metal... they just aren't "your" pick of choice based off your technique/playstyle. There are plenty of metal players using jazz iii's successfully, Ola Englund comes to mind.
That's crazy man... I had the exact same experience! When I discovered the Jazz III two years ago I felt an instant improvement in my playing and I loved it! Up until only 2 weeks ago when I found an old pack of picks I had, which included a variety of the original Tortex picks, I tried playing with the 1.14 Purple Tortex. After a week (like you said) of playing with it the most notable difference was the TONE. I was shocked by how big the difference was. Also, techniques like raking and sweep picking were a lot more defined. I tried switching back to the Jazz III and it felt like writing with a blunt pencil. I have to say though, the Jazz III could be useful during a transitionary period for any aspiring guitarist especially when learning alternate picking or shredding.
I too thought nothing could beat a Jazz 3 - I was almost religious about using them. However while tracking my last record I discovered a completely different pick (albeit not a bigger pick, BUT tortex!) that suited me better after a decade of using the Jazz 3. Try something new and stick with it for about a week, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. #TeamTeardrop
Francesco Filigoi They sound brighter to my ears. I'm stuck using the JP jazz iii, it's a bit bigger than the jazz iiis. Maybe I'll give the Jazz iii XL Ultex to try a bigger pick
So this had me curious. I went out and bought a bunch of different picks. The Jazz iii's were totally dull compared to the Tortex and I do agree that the .88 sounded the best, even tho they were a bit thinner than my preference but the 1.0/1.14 in the non jazz size felt unnatural after using jazz iii's for 4 years. That is until I compared it to my custom Jazz iii picks from IntuneGP. They have the small shape of the Jazz iii, but the materiel of the Tortex. The 1.14 had just as much attack and clarity as the 0.88 Tortex and actually seemed to be easier on my hand. To each their own I guess, but you're totally onto something here.
Can agree about the material but about the size, you forget that people with smaller hands do exist so this is relative. Just follow the path of least resistance
Of course it’s relative, in the video I state “my technique and taste may differ from yours”. Regardless of hand size, I do believe Jazz 3 are so tiny there’s just not enough tip sticking out, and that translates in less tone. Again, just my experience
I don’t know how you play, but with a correct picking technique and the right angle, pick size shouldn’t be a problem unless the shape is really weird. But again to each his own!
I'm not actually in home and I don't have my headphones with me but if can clearly hear the difference through my phone speaker... That's a big win for big picks, thanks for the advice Francesco!!! I'm currently using Dunlop Tortex 1.0 mm
To be fair you didn't compare picks of the same material, just dimension. Be interested to hear both picks in Tortex. Not saying that the difference won't be there just saying that the difference in material may make some difference.]
Absolutely, you do have a point. I did this test by myself time ago and there’s still a clear difference, as I state in the video “There’s still a clear difference in between picks with the same Tortex material but different shape such as Jazz 3, Jazz 3 XL, Tortex, T3”. Perhaps try for yourself and see how it goes!
Cool comparison video! I’ve been on a quest for the perfect pick....for me anyway. I tried so hard to like the Jazz III pick for a long time because so many of my favorite players used them. But they are way too small for my hamfisted hand. I kept either dropping them or they would rotate in my fingers. I love the sharp point though. I finally started using the Dunlop Ultex sharp picks and really liked them even though they were just a touch bright sounding. I think I finally found the perfect pick for me. The Dunlop Flow picks! I use the 2.0 thickness because I like the control of a thicker pick. The shape is perfect. Small enough so it doesn’t feel cumbersome yet big enough for my meathooks to hang on to. They are made of Ultex and have the sharp point for attack and brightness. But the rounded tumbled edge gives the tone weight and warmth. Check ‘Em out if you haven’t already. Awesome picks! Cheers!
Thinner picks sound brighter while thicker picks get a little more darker depending on the gauge you're using. Some prefer the sound, others don't. It's all preference and opinion based.
That is correct: the thicker the pick, the more the bass response, which will eventually make it sound darker. The sweet spot is where there’s just the right amount of bass response, so it will provide a balanced tone
Oh well, for as much as I'd hoped there would be no significant difference between the two, the hard truth it that there's an abyss that separates them 😅 I guess now the only thing to do is to try out a Tortex and see for myself. Great video Francesco, you did an excellent job highlighting the difference between the two picks 👍
It depends on what you play... we're not all metalheads... not everything is metal.... and guitars were big before metal... quite frankly I believe that metal killed rock because sensible people after the metal generation began to think that all of rock was metal, so they assumed to avoid all rock, thus killing the genre. Guitars were quite big before metal, so even if they're bad for metal, they might not be bad for other things.
Alexi Laiho used jazz iii picks and his sound is extremely metal. Of course also due to the guitar pickups. I don't think pick is really important for finding the right tone. It has to play comfortable. I just switched to small picks and I think they play faster and more accurate.
Do Jazz IIIs play faster? Yes, especially for some with less than ideal technique (look at Jeff Loomis using Tortex sharps, completely the opposite of a jazz 3). Can you get a great sound out of a jazz III? Sure, granted everything else is good, BUT it could also be better with another pick, especially if we’re talking riffs - leads, that’s another story. We don’t know if Alexi used them just for leads, or just live, but I’m willing to bet he used at least different picks or different materials for recording rhythm. Pantera and Metallica have recorded their most known albums with Dunlop Tortex, I think that’s a huge statement on how good they are
Hai perfettamente ragione, uso i Tortex, sia da 0.88 sia da 1.14 da 20 anni ormai, mai usato altri plettri, comodi, non ti scappano di mano neanche a volerlo e hanno un attacco pazzesco. E da questo video si evince chiaramente, alte frequenze in più del Tortex rispetto al Jazz.
I like .60 too, that’s what Nolly used to use, not sure nowadays. I think it’s effortless when crossing the strings, but starts sounding a bit too thin with not enough bass imo.
Cleaner? It’s a matter of taste for sure. Heavier? No way, it’s almost objective that a bigger/thicker pick than a Jazz III sounds heavier or beefier. If you haven’t, compare a Tortex or Ultex pick around 1mm thickness with the classic nylon Jazz III for Metal riffing - no way the Jazz will sound heavier
Go to 1:48 for the audio comparison and listen to the low end, attack and power of each chug. What do you guys think?
3:10 says it all. I use the Tortex III 0.88 Riffle myself for over 2/3 years it really makes the difference, especially for recording.
The thicker you go for pick gauges, the warmer the sound while the thinner you go the more brighter. It’s just a personal preference for players.
Damn. Should I stay at .88? I recently went up to 1.14, without any reason.
@@stevestevens1457 just go by what feels good for you. I normally play 2mm picks when it comes to single line music and I use thinner picks for strumming.
@@HallwayMusic91 I see thanks!
@@HallwayMusic91So you change picks in the middle of a song?!?🤪
Tortex picks have fantastic tone… but they get eaten alive by my playing. I hate having my picks lose their shape so fast, their durability is a real issue for me. For that reason I prefer Ultex or Nylon, since those picks usually last me wayyy longer.
Gotta agree on this. I go though packs of Tortex picks pretty fast
Now that they make Jazz III picks from all of the main materials (nylon, carbon fiber+nylon, tortex of any thickness, ultex) it would be awesome to see a followup video where you can compare different sizes of picks and the different materials. I'm curious if the main difference is the pick material or the size & shape influencing how you attack the strings.
The right answer is that everything matters to a certain degree
I use a tortex 1.14mm jazz iii
This is sick
I watched this some months ago, when I was still playing jazz iii and didn't want to believe you. Now I purchased some Tortex jazz iii .88 mm (green one) and the moment I held it in my hand, it felt like home. I had been playing the standard .88 mm years ago before I got into shredding. And you are absolutely right, Tortex IS the best material for a massively pissed off tone for riffing. Especially in the palm mutes, there's a world of difference. However the size of the jazz iii doesn't matter so much it seems. Thanks for your vids, maybe next time I will believe you right away :)
Thicker pick makes the string travel farther. Agree completely. Best picks I’ve found are Dunlop flow, Dunlop Nylon and Attak Pick for unique parts with unreal clarity and a flam effect that accentuates the bite
Yes you are absolutely right. I've noticed that too. With the Jazz 3 picks gives you a much smaller tone. Although it does have really good picking accuracy. But for your comparison the Jazz 3 sounds less dynamic and more muffled. But neither pick gives me the percussive attack that I need. I use a Gibson 351 black Celluloid heavy, and I use a fender 347 large teardrop heavy shell for my picks. Both do exactly what I need them to do. Which is do circles around any Dunlop pick. I get more percussive attack and tone, better sustain and I have better control of not dropping my pick.
Tortex picks sound too thin. Especially when you're playing above the 12th fret.
I agree, that thicker picks sound warmer/muddier, but I think, that the material matters more. I am not a metal player, but I use Jazz 3 Tortex 1,5 and they sound much brighter and articulate than the standard Jazz 3.
You’re correct. Material definitely influences the character more, thickness just influences the balance in between low end and attack
Maybe there is a difference between the nylon, stiffo and carbon fiber Jazz picks? I just ordered all three types to try out
@@Apebek if they’re different materials, there’s definitely gonna be a tone difference
I switched from Jazz III's to Sharp 1.5 Tortex picks. Feels so much better and feel my playing has become so much more articulate.
The Jazz III's really make the faster palm mutes staccato 😱 I'm a user of Jazz III's but not for long now!
I use Trainer 0.96mm tortex, but I shorten them by 3/16" (to match the length of the last joint in my 1st finger)... great sound, improved accuracy and they last forever.
Wow i had almost the same situation. I was comparing all the picks i had and stopped on a Tortex III. And then started comparing thickness. The "Chug" that i liked the most was coming from a 1.4 mm (purple), but the one i was most comfortable playing with was a 1.0 mm (blue) pick. But i still decided to try and get used to the purple one, and few weeks later i could play even better with it and now it is actually harder for me to play the blue one.
Not a big surprise, nylon always sounds flatter and smoother because it's a softer material. A fairer comparison would be the ultex or stiffo jazz iii picks imo.
Great comparison video ! I just switched to green tortex tiii from jazz iii xls. Still getting used to it, but i found that i prefer this pick for both, electric and acoustic guitar. I tried the thicker blue one to, but later decided to use green one. Blue was too thick for me.
Seems to be a noticeable difference in the bottom end sound between these two. I use the petrucci Jazz III, which I believe is ultex, works for me.
I played for a long time the JP red Jazz 3 mini. I thought these are the picks for the rest of my life. But after playing a Tortex Jazz 3 mini 1.35 mm I realized the Tortex material sounds much better. So I sticked with them a longer time. 6 month ago I changed to an Tortex Jazz 3 XL 1.0 mm. But man, you are so right. I played on an T3 for some days now and I think I finally found my picks. Incredible. Not only the sound but my playing seems to be better. I think I have more grip because they are so large. I only have 1.14 mm T3 here, but I think a little thinner seems better to me. I will order 1.0, 0.88 and 0.73 and see which works best for me. Thank you so much for the suggestion. Without you I haven't even tried one!
Thank you for trusting me 🙏
Dunlop Carbon Fiber Max Grip Jazz III is still awesome for leads and no slip, but it falls short on rhythm. Jazz III's just suck for strumming and chugging.
On that note, I'm loving V-picks Dimension with the ghosted edge. I'm just ordered one that s fully ghosted for more grip.
I deally, I'd have a V-pick with a the max grip of the a carbon fiber. I'm in the processing shaping 2 carbon fiber Jazz III's down to glue onto a V-picks Screamer before I go messing with gluing anything onto a Dimension, since the dimension is pricey.
I think the JP Jazz III is good for warmer tones. The super thick black ones are the best Jazz IIIs for warmer tones, for more Trebly tones I like to use the thinner Animals as Leaders Jazz IIIs and I rarely use in between medium picks.
I still feel like the Jazz iii sounds cleaner, like the tortex is scraping slightly angled or something. Better note separation on the Jazz imo.
I've been using Jazz III XLs for the past 8 years or so...I guess it's time for a change lol great comparison!
XLs are still great, or at least definitely better than the smaller ones...but I’d still try others 👌 thanks my friend!
Ive used all kinds of different shapes and materials but i got stuck with xl jazz 3 n i love it.
Ya I think the xl is just the best of both worlds.. I’m confused bout jazz 1s and 2s though I never tried those but saw them the other day they felt to small obviously like jaZz 3s but I wonder if there’s a jazz 2 xl if I’d like it better. Maybe I’ll check it out.. swear I go through this pick dilemma every other day like hmm how diff do they sound and which grip do I like and wait I don’t mind thin and it helps my strumming to no it doesn’t and thick easier to grip and jazz 3 is sharp n it just as good for strumming like to the point where I’m switching picks and playing same licks rather than advancing lmfao bout to use my dang thumb hahahaha
the black jazz 111 has a better harder tone for rock& metal than the red one, and have u tried a badazz chickenpick?
I LOVE the shape of the jazz iii but i do admit over time I really missed the size and tone of a bigger picks
After fiddling with TONS of picks I ended up massively enjoying the Chickenpicks Badazz III (2.5mm) coz it gets that more bigger tone down while still having that jazz iii type of control and speed
Have you tried jazz 3 xl? I went through same thing I use to use .88 tortex then you’re jazz 3 then found jazz 3 xl and it’s perfect size and thickness
Tbh I sort of went through a similar journey a couple of years ago where I tried like...4-5 brands of boutique picks coz "standard" picks weren't cutting it for me. While I've enjoyed played chickenpicks (their Jazz variant that's about 2mm thick) for a year, it sort of got tiring and a bit expensive buying them in bulk.
So lo and behold when I took your advice and just tried out an old Dunlop again...and it just sort of clicked for once. The TIII and Jazz III XL tortex variants in particular have been awesome. I love the .88 and 1mm versions. I do wish they lasted longer though coz I despise rounded out, used feeling tortex picks with a passion but I guess they're cheap enough to buy in bulk :p
The thickness and material together here are making a difference, and both have a sharp tip. After trying the Hetfield Black Fang I realized just how much I like the attack of a sharper shape while not being too thick. Landed on the Ultex Sharp 0.90 personally. I bought some 0.88 Tortex TIIIs to compare the shape and it's identical to the Ultex Sharp. I find Ultex to be the most wear resistant material, even moreso than Tortex, so give that a try, too. Great video and you've really demonstrated your point properly with the DI tracks, too. I don't see anyone else doing that.
PS the White Fang is a Flow shape which I also recommend trying. Not nearly as sharp an attack but still plenty of articulation, and makes it easier to play very fast. You can get those in Ultex (regular Flow) or Tortex, both 0.88.
You are absolutely correct. The Jazz III killed my Les Paul warm tone.......Dunlop Big Stubby 3.0 for LIFE! Try one.....Awkward at first, but well worth the transition IMO
You would love the Jazz III XL tortex 0.8. Literally best of both worlds.
That's crazy, the Jazz III sounds muddier in the low mids on Riff 2 and 3 especially. I never would have guessed it made such a big difference.
I tried to make my self use them for years because everyone including guitar teachers were telling me i should switch to them, but I couldn't play them for more than 10 minutes because of the sound difference!
You just confirmed my suspicion about Jazz III picks... I have been using Jazz III pickups forever, and recently was sent some free Green Tortex pick with a purchase of a set of pickups. So i tried them out and personally i really love the feel of the Green Tortex over the Jazz III. I find it easier to to faster riffing with the Tortex picks... great video!!
I came in thinking I wasn't going to hear a difference or be convinced otherwise, you proved me wrong!
That’s why I use jazz iii XL tortex picks. Best of both worlds.
Couldn't you mix/EQ/set amps & effects different to compensate for any difference here?
No, unfortunately it’s not the same thing at all. It’s like saying “Can you make two singers with two different voices sound more similar with eq/compression/effects?” - You will always be able to tell which singer is which anyways
So like... no one here knows about the Tortex M3s I guess?
Excelent video dude!
You explains everything so well, good job bro.
use the XL series. much more metal
Fuck man you crushed all of my beliefs and habits. I'm so used to small picks, specially the Jazz III, I can't even imagine going back to a big one. Guess I'll move to the jazz III XL and a bigger one later on.
Give it a try for a week and see how it goes 💪
I still have a Jazz III pick that I bought in 1991. It’s been with me to 15 countries.
I don’t use it anymore, because I don’t want to lose it. Well, that and I use Blue Chip picks these days.
Hey Francesco. Some awesome points you made in this video. It makes so much sense that a bigger pick would have better tone than the Jazz III. It never really occurred to me but it is totally True. As hard as it is for a Jazz III love like me to admit, you're definitely right!
Okay, I've been thinking about this and about switching from Jazz 3 to something better. Defenetly going to try out Tortex now, thanks Francesco!
whats the material of tortex tiii?
It's really more noticeable on clean tone. The low chugs are eh the tiniest difference that won't be heard in a full band setting.
Chugs are very different if you pay attention not to their EQ but to how they “bloom” and fill the space. There’s very little EQ difference once you go through a full pedal>amp>cab chain, but the character of the chugs is vastly different
What mm size is the Tortex III ?
Should I get the regular tortex picks or the sharp ones? Are there any benefits to the sharp tortex picks?
I don’t like regular Tortex picks cause the tip is too rounded and the tone is not as defined imo. Sharps are awesome but maybe too sharp? Get the Tortex III, same size as the regular Tortex but with the tip of a Jazz III, best of both worlds!
Axe-FX preset?
Yes I'm using my Axe-Fx II here!
Can you do a comparison with the Tortex Jazz 3? I think you might have lost some attack/tone because you used a nylon pick. I been playing around with a Tortex Jazz 3 1.50mm to a gator grip 1.50mm and I actually think the Jazz hits the high strings cleaner but I dunno, curious on your comparison opinion
As I mention in the video, there is definitely still a difference even if two picks have the same material. Size matters! I personally prefer bigger picks because of this, but in the end use whatever you prefer and what gets the job done :)
Yeah I like my gator grips, definitely wouldn't mind the tortex Jazz 3 but the smaller pick makes me bend my wrist weird which kills my hand lol.
Yeah, hell of a difference.. -_-', just as expected. There are Tortex Jazz III's also, just in case ;)
Yea but as I mention in the video, they still wouldn't be as good cause of the loss of tone related to the smaller size. Still, an improvement over nylon for sure!
they don't suck for metal... they just aren't "your" pick of choice based off your technique/playstyle. There are plenty of metal players using jazz iii's successfully, Ola Englund comes to mind.
John Petrucci and Kirk Hammett have signature Jazz III picks, for instance.
I’m switch from black jazz iii to meshuggah picks (the black nylon one) and couldn’t be more happier.
That's crazy man... I had the exact same experience! When I discovered the Jazz III two years ago I felt an instant improvement in my playing and I loved it!
Up until only 2 weeks ago when I found an old pack of picks I had, which included a variety of the original Tortex picks, I tried playing with the 1.14 Purple Tortex. After a week (like you said) of playing with it the most notable difference was the TONE. I was shocked by how big the difference was. Also, techniques like raking and sweep picking were a lot more defined.
I tried switching back to the Jazz III and it felt like writing with a blunt pencil. I have to say though, the Jazz III could be useful during a transitionary period for any aspiring guitarist especially when learning alternate picking or shredding.
Exactly! Thank you for sharing your experience, much appreciated!
Obviously you can play with whatever you want. If you prefer jazz 3 picks, just use that. If you like use coins like Brian may, then use a coin.
I too thought nothing could beat a Jazz 3 - I was almost religious about using them. However while tracking my last record I discovered a completely different pick (albeit not a bigger pick, BUT tortex!) that suited me better after a decade of using the Jazz 3. Try something new and stick with it for about a week, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. #TeamTeardrop
Glad you share almost my exact same experience. Tone first!
What about the Jazz iii Ultex? Have you tried that in the comparison?
I have tried Ultex picks and I like them - I still don’t like smaller picks though.
Francesco Filigoi They sound brighter to my ears. I'm stuck using the JP jazz iii, it's a bit bigger than the jazz iiis. Maybe I'll give the Jazz iii XL Ultex to try a bigger pick
Mario Ippolito I love my jazz 3 xl
Are you using a shotgun mic for the voice?
No I’m using a Slate ML-1 microphone which is at my right but not visible in the video
Gear review of your blue 7 string kiesel
Will do!
So this had me curious. I went out and bought a bunch of different picks. The Jazz iii's were totally dull compared to the Tortex and I do agree that the .88 sounded the best, even tho they were a bit thinner than my preference but the 1.0/1.14 in the non jazz size felt unnatural after using jazz iii's for 4 years. That is until I compared it to my custom Jazz iii picks from IntuneGP. They have the small shape of the Jazz iii, but the materiel of the Tortex. The 1.14 had just as much attack and clarity as the 0.88 Tortex and actually seemed to be easier on my hand. To each their own I guess, but you're totally onto something here.
I’m glad you tried what works best for yourself! I would still encourage you to give bigger picks a try, just for one week, and then see how it goes!
I'm giving the 0.88 a go. I'll let you know how it goes.
Can agree about the material but about the size, you forget that people with smaller hands do exist so this is relative. Just follow the path of least resistance
Of course it’s relative, in the video I state “my technique and taste may differ from yours”. Regardless of hand size, I do believe Jazz 3 are so tiny there’s just not enough tip sticking out, and that translates in less tone. Again, just my experience
For genres where you have to dig deep, sure, but I can't imagine myself anymore trying fast alternate picking across strings, with a big pick...
I don’t know how you play, but with a correct picking technique and the right angle, pick size shouldn’t be a problem unless the shape is really weird. But again to each his own!
I'm not actually in home and I don't have my headphones with me but if can clearly hear the difference through my phone speaker... That's a big win for big picks, thanks for the advice Francesco!!! I'm currently using Dunlop Tortex 1.0 mm
Do give it a listen through better speakers later still ;)
Francesco Filigoi Of Course!!!
Great video with a complete and fair comparison, I use tortex for years now and I feel naked playing without it!
I don't think the Jazz 3 was ever intended for a chugging guitarist. John Petrucci uses the Jazz 3 so that's good enough for me haha.
Wow it’s extremely obvious in the DI comparison. I’m going to camp are my Swiss picks jazz mini to the Tortex and to compare. Great content.
So true! I went through the same epiphany a month ago
I use the tortex .88 flex love it I also like the Kirk hammet jazz lll
Ultex jazz 3 XL 1.38....best pick ever
I hear a difference but that could so easily be counteracted by just messing with some sounds on your amp
It's not exactly the same thing, but for sure I agree that there's more important factors in the final tone, especially the cabinet.
To be fair you didn't compare picks of the same material, just dimension. Be interested to hear both picks in Tortex. Not saying that the difference won't be there just saying that the difference in material may make some difference.]
Absolutely, you do have a point. I did this test by myself time ago and there’s still a clear difference, as I state in the video “There’s still a clear difference in between picks with the same Tortex material but different shape such as Jazz 3, Jazz 3 XL, Tortex, T3”. Perhaps try for yourself and see how it goes!
Francescooooo do a run through of all your gear!
Will do!
Jazz 3 ultex all the way :)
I play mostly tech death, and Jazz 3 is the way to go for me
Cool comparison video! I’ve been on a quest for the perfect pick....for me anyway. I tried so hard to like the Jazz III pick for a long time because so many of my favorite players used them. But they are way too small for my hamfisted hand. I kept either dropping them or they would rotate in my fingers. I love the sharp point though. I finally started using the Dunlop Ultex sharp picks and really liked them even though they were just a touch bright sounding. I think I finally found the perfect pick for me. The Dunlop Flow picks! I use the 2.0 thickness because I like the control of a thicker pick. The shape is perfect. Small enough so it doesn’t feel cumbersome yet big enough for my meathooks to hang on to. They are made of Ultex and have the sharp point for attack and brightness. But the rounded tumbled edge gives the tone weight and warmth. Check ‘Em out if you haven’t already. Awesome picks! Cheers!
Thinner picks sound brighter while thicker picks get a little more darker depending on the gauge you're using. Some prefer the sound, others don't. It's all preference and opinion based.
That is correct: the thicker the pick, the more the bass response, which will eventually make it sound darker. The sweet spot is where there’s just the right amount of bass response, so it will provide a balanced tone
not fully true, while you may like a little bit more treble/bass having too much bass is objectively a bad thing same with treble and mids.
man size picks are the way to go!
Oh well, for as much as I'd hoped there would be no significant difference between the two, the hard truth it that there's an abyss that separates them 😅
I guess now the only thing to do is to try out a Tortex and see for myself.
Great video Francesco, you did an excellent job highlighting the difference between the two picks 👍
Much appreciated dude! Try it out and see how it goes
TIII master race, I use the 1mm blue TIII's and I agree 100% :-)
Nice..
I love Hetfield BlackFang picks, in 1.14. Perfect balance of power and precision as far as I'm concerned.
Fender 358 heavy is where it’s at
It depends on what you play... we're not all metalheads... not everything is metal.... and guitars were big before metal... quite frankly I believe that metal killed rock because sensible people after the metal generation began to think that all of rock was metal, so they assumed to avoid all rock, thus killing the genre. Guitars were quite big before metal, so even if they're bad for metal, they might not be bad for other things.
I always preferred Winamp anyways
epix
I prefer the tone of jazz iii here.
i think i might be the only one on the planet but i prefer Jazz I picks to jazz III's
Jazz iii for life!
Try the Shredder from Chickenpicks 😉
Alexi Laiho used jazz iii picks and his sound is extremely metal. Of course also due to the guitar pickups. I don't think pick is really important for finding the right tone. It has to play comfortable. I just switched to small picks and I think they play faster and more accurate.
Do Jazz IIIs play faster? Yes, especially for some with less than ideal technique (look at Jeff Loomis using Tortex sharps, completely the opposite of a jazz 3).
Can you get a great sound out of a jazz III? Sure, granted everything else is good, BUT it could also be better with another pick, especially if we’re talking riffs - leads, that’s another story.
We don’t know if Alexi used them just for leads, or just live, but I’m willing to bet he used at least different picks or different materials for recording rhythm.
Pantera and Metallica have recorded their most known albums with Dunlop Tortex, I think that’s a huge statement on how good they are
Hai perfettamente ragione, uso i Tortex, sia da 0.88 sia da 1.14 da 20 anni ormai, mai usato altri plettri, comodi, non ti scappano di mano neanche a volerlo e hanno un attacco pazzesco. E da questo video si evince chiaramente, alte frequenze in più del Tortex rispetto al Jazz.
Green Dunlops with the Turtles on them are the only pick you need!
nice
I use the petrucci picks and get the best of both worlds
Don’t like them at all. The plastic tip has a very pronounced “clicky” overtone I just don’t gel with, but to each his own ofc!
I use the same type of pick, but .60, best sounding pick I've ever tried
I like .60 too, that’s what Nolly used to use, not sure nowadays. I think it’s effortless when crossing the strings, but starts sounding a bit too thin with not enough bass imo.
I've noticed that a bit especially on gigs, will try the .73
tortex 3 =)
Disagree 100%. For me, the jazz 3 is so much cleaner and heavier in terms of tome
Cleaner? It’s a matter of taste for sure. Heavier? No way, it’s almost objective that a bigger/thicker pick than a Jazz III sounds heavier or beefier. If you haven’t, compare a Tortex or Ultex pick around 1mm thickness with the classic nylon Jazz III for Metal riffing - no way the Jazz will sound heavier
Thinner picks for metal? What?
Master Of Puppets has been recorded with Tortex 0.88, lots of Pantera stuff as well. ‘Nuff said